Spirit of choice: Black Fox Gin #7- from Black Fox Farm and Distillery in Saskatoon, with just a hint of cucumber making it extremely refreshing!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: It may sound weird but I like to add a little splash of the juice from a jar of pepperoncini peppers. (Like some would do with pickle juice.)

Best garnish: My last answer gave it away... pepperoncini peppers or pickled asparagus and a slice of beef jerky (preferably my brothers homemade jerky) or if that’s not available, a hotrod!

Spirit of choice: Absolut because it’s smooth and has a slight fruit note.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: the brine from olives (similar to a dirty martini). It’s the best of both worlds!

Best garnish: Skewered olives, lime, celery stalk with heart. If I’m adventurous with the guys, I add a spicy chicken wing!!!

Allyson

Spirit of choice: Vodka (Lucky Bastard Birmingham's Dill Pickle Vodka). I just love dill and pretty much anything pickled, so this is a match for me! I've loved all the Lucky Bastard products I've tried and it's a bonus that they're local.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique:   I love a salt rim that contains some celery salt and smoked paprika! Tabasco sauce is still my go-to for heat, and I like my Caesars medium spicey.

Best garnish: My favourite garnish has to be a cocktail onion, pickled carrot, and a garlic stuffed olive.

Alexis

Spirit of choice: Black Fox gin! It's a local distillery as well and oh-so smooth.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Tabasco sauce!

Best garnish: I love adding a pepperoncini for that extra kick.

Spirit of choice: Our house vodka is Tito’s so that’s what we use in Caesars. I usually use Vodka but if I am using gin then I use Hendrick’s.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Fresh horseradish is a must! And sometimes, I will add a splash of pickle juice.

Best garnish: I like to garnish with something crunchy like a small spicy pickle (Farm Boy makes super spicy ones) or celery (in fact, it is the only time I really like celery) but my dream Caesar also has a fresh oyster or clam with it. 

Spirit of choice: Absolut Vodka has always been our go-to vodka in most situations for a few reasons. It uses winter wheat as a base, which has a strong northern connection to our own climate. They were the first innovators in marketing and the first to connect with bartenders. They believe in strong ties to their community; everything that goes into the bottle is sourced within 100km from the distillery and the relationships with farmers are over a hundred years old. Absolut runs one of the most forward thinking recycling programs in the spirit world. It also helps that is a clean and delicious product with enough pep to cut through clamato juice. That being said, we will serve your Caesar any way you like it. We know that people take their Caesars very seriously.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: The secret ingredient that I use at home is the same one that we use at all of our Drake properties, and that is "Carrol & Co bloody mix". It is a local artisanal product made in small batches by hand and has been instrumental in taking our Caesar game to the next level.

Best garnish: We have always garnished in a simple fashion. A lime for added acidity (if needed) and some olives for texture, is all our Caesar needs. I do love the Instagram pics of the over the top garnish but I would rather serve a clean, well balanced drink and let our chefs fill your belly. Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world, and the Caesar is an easy drink to showcase a variety of spices, herbs and food which makes Sunday Brunch in the Six, a great time to travel the globe and support local business!

Spirit of choice: I typically use Ketel One or Chopin. Both are smooth, mix well, and Chopin is nice because it’s potato vodka which has a slightly different taste!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I’ll sneak a little pickle juice in their sometimes if I’m feeling adventurous.

Best garnish: As for garnish, always a spicy bean and pepperette stick.

Spirit of choice: Grey Goose ~ it has enough balls to withstand the mix!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Dash of sriracha and it’s an instant wow!

Best garnish: Marinated green beans, or marinated asparagus because after all I’m the Queen of Fibre!

Spirit of choice: I love using Sheringham gin in my Caesars. 

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I like to make them extra muddy.

Best garnish: I love garnishing with local gooseneck barnacle skewer.

Spirit of choice: Tequila. The cheap stuff. Because most vodka is tasteless and gin is wasted in Clamato.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Muddled cucumber

Best garnish: Lime. Lots of freshly squeezed lime.

Spirit of choice: Montelobos Mezcal as it's nice & smokey, which plays well with tomato or Sheringham Seaside Gin which is made with kelp and complements the saltiness of a Caesar. We prefer not to use vodka as we find it gets lost.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Freshly grated horseradish or wasabi.

Best garnish: We like to keep the focus on the drink and not the garnish, so our preference is olives and a lime or pickled vegetables. That said, I’m also a sucker for a spicy peperoni stick.

Spirit of choice: Particularly something herbal, it just adds to the cocktail and makes it taste fresh from the booziest garden you could think of!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Celery bitters and pickle juice make good additions— the latter especially if you are getting over those bad decisions you made the night before.

Best garnish: Pickled asparagus, and as much sausage as you can fit! The pickled asparagus adds a zing to go along with the meat, and both go so well with Caesars.

Spirit of choice: Cazadores blanco tequila which we infuse with jalapeño for an added kick.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: At home, I like to add a splash of stout to add a little depth and smokiness, but at our restaurant we make a housemade clamato with our pico de Gallo juice.

Best garnish: Smoked olives. Or, turn your Caesar into a Michelada with the addition of Good Company lager.

Spirit of choice: I save my Unruly Gin—a Vancouver island gin made of honey—for special occasions and extra-special Caesars. 

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I mix this beautiful gin with Simp’s Serious Caesar Mix (from Kelowna) because I love that this mix is made with all natural ingredients (no artificial colourings) and sweetened with maple syrup, not  high fructose corn syrup. Combining Simp’s Caesar Mix with Unruly Gin results in a well-balanced, smoky, full-flavoured Caesar with a slightly sweet finish (from the Simps) and notes of cedar and citrus (from the gin).

Best garnish: To make it extra special, I garnish it with Oysterman smoked oysters from Cortes Island. These oysters are unique because they are simply Cortes Island oysters smoked and then canned in their natural nectar, nothing else. I call this Caesar the Super Natural BC Caesar because it’s made with all natural ingredients from BC. It’s truly all-Canadian, as a Caesar should be.  
 

Spirit of choice: Vodka. Traditional, baby!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Bacon-infused vodka. They were making them that way at the Alberta House during the 2010 Winter Olympics, hands down the best Caesar I've ever had.

Best garnish: Pepperoni, cheese and olives. It’s basically a salad, right?

Spirit of choice: I don’t have much of a preference for the vodka or gin. High end just gets lost with all the flavours. But if pressed, Tito’s Vodka and Tanqueray Gin.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I like to put horseradish or cocktail sauce in my Caesar.

Best garnish: The garnish is a jumbo prawn. To finish the shrimp cocktail Caesar experience.

Spirit of choice: I love a good Caesar made with Zirkova Together vodka. It's crafted specifically to be mixed and elevate other flavours and, tbh, I like that it's reasonably priced. A Caesar is no place for overpriced, so-called "premium" vodka.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I like my Caesar salty, spicy and packed with umami. I always add a splash of brine from whatever I've got pickling in the back of the fridge, as well as a hint of nama shoyu soy sauce and wasabi in place of horseradish. As far as rimmers go, I love a crushed salt and vinegar kettle chip and old bay blend!

Best garnish: Again, whatever I've got pickling in the fridge! Usually the result of my spring foraging. An unfurled pickled fiddlehead and some acidic marinated ramps along with a thick slice of candied bacon! Nothing too complicated but something personal!

Spirit of choice: For Local Gin I like strathcona spirits but I really like to use Cotswold Gin for a really smooth flavor thats not too harsh when you drink it in the morning!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I love my Caesars, the spicer the better, so I tend to add a lot of Sriracha for the heat and garlic flavor I love as well as pickle juice from our home made pickles.

Best garnish: At the restaurant we make all our own pickles so a big juicy crunchy pickle is best for me.

Spirit of choice: I usually stick with my go-to Vodka, Absolut, because who doesn't love a good rainbow labeled vodka? As for gin, any will do. I'm easy to please!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I always finish mine off with pickle juice. Anyone who doesn't isn't doing it properly.

Best garnish: I like my Caesar to be like a meal; I garnish with pickles, olives and to add some sustenance, a pepperoni stick! 

Spirit of choice: Vodka, I’m Ukrainian!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Mexican hot sauce made with dried chilies

Best garnish: I like my Caesars Gaspacho-esk, really cold with cilantro, cucumbers and lots of spice!

Spirit of choice: I like to use Ketel One because of its clean flavour and super sustainable practices in the distillery

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I add a splash of spicy pickled bean juice for acidity and cracked black pepper on top

Best garnish: At home I like to keep things simple with a lime wedge and a pickled bean or pickled asparagus but at the restaurant we offer an oyster as a topper. Such a perfect pairing that makes a rustic drink instantly sexy

Spirit of choice: For a vodka Caesar, I say go big or go home with the Chili Vodka from Sons Of Vancouver. Also on the spicy train, if you wanted to make me a Caesar with mezcal, I wouldn't complain.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: There are a few pineapple hot sauces popping up and I have yet to try one I don't like. They add spice and brightness.

Best garnish: I love a hilariously over-the-top garnish, but at the end of the day, your classic pickled garnish is a classic for a reason.

Spirit of choice: I like an infused vodka.. jalapeño, basil or pickle! It adds so much more flavour, why not make it a double?

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Pickle juice is definitely my secret ingredient. My favourite is the brine from a jar of hot mix pickles. 

Best garnish: The garnish can make a Caesar a meal. I love beans, peppers, cheese and olives (the regulars) but throw a lobster tail on there, and now we’re talking!

Christy

Spirit of choice: Wildlife Vodka from Canmore. It tastes so fresh on it's own ice cold! 

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Pickle juice allll the way. 

Best garnish: Classic celery, blue cheese olives and pickles. I do however appreciate the slider or onion ring surprise!

Fraser

Spirit of choice: Any kind because I'm not picky!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Sambal oelek for a little spice.

Best garnish: I don't like food on my Caesars. Just the drink. 

Spirit of choice: If it starts with a G and ends with an "in", I’ll drink it. 

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: The spicier the better! Add all the spices and if someone says it’s too much, don’t call them back the next day. 

Best garnish: I like it when there’s bacon and a pickle, mainly because I love pickles and I love bacon. 

Spirit of choice: For Caesars I usually go to Beefeater. It’s got a lot of flavour, it’s cheap and it really compliments the other vinegary components of the drink

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: It’s kind of a secret. But I always use Tajin instead of seasoning salt. It’s a Mexican salt that has lime, orange, salt and chilies. It’s much more bright and delicious than just salt. Also beer.

Best garnish: I keep it simple for garnish: a lime wedge. There’s more than enough going on in a Caesar without an entire cheeseburger etc on top.

Spirit of choice: I like both gin and vodka as long as it comes from the local distiller here in Canmore - Wild Life Distillery. They make a great vodka and gin right here in Canmore. 
 
Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I love them as spicy and hot as possible. At the Wit Bar, we use a Tajin spice to rim the glass which adds an extra hint of spice. 
 
Best garnish: I like adding meat as a garnish. Either bacon, prawn or a beef rib. Make a meal out of it!
 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Karen Kho (@khokaren) on Mar 31, 2019 at 8:13am PDT

Spirit of choice: I love gin with a pronounced juniper note, so Citadelle is my go-to. Caesars can be intense and thick, I like to balance out its richness with some floral acidity.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I love fresh horseradish and lemon, perhaps not a secret ingredient but I love that spice!

Best garnish: I like to make it a meal with a spicy pepperonccini and a mini Empire Provisions pepperoni stick.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Pamela Kirkpatrick (@pamelakirkpatrick) on Mar 2, 2019 at 10:19am PST

Spirit of choice: Vancouver Island's Sheringham Seaside Gin. It's just so clean and crisp.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I like to mix in some home made horseradish. It grows prolifically here in Winnipeg and its clear, fresh bite really comes through in a Caesar.

Best garnish: a little Tajin spice on the rim and maybe some olives. Simple is best!

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Chef Shelley Robinson (@chefshelleyrobinson) on Sep 20, 2016 at 7:52pm PDT

Spirit of choice: I’m a gin girl- all about the extra nuisances of flavour, but... we have been experimenting with absinthe from Tofino Disitlling! Love the fennel!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: So I started pickling mustard seeds a while back, my wife went crazy adding them to our Caesars, along with the regular suspects like horseradish and Sriracha  - she says the best part is at the bottom of the glass or if you use a paper straw it’s line super grown up bubble tea.

Best garnish: Coconut oil rimmed glass, black salt. Sriracha marinated and grilled pineapple! Yes I said pineapple! It’s amazing and kinda makes it tropical. Try your Caesar with absinthe! Or Gin! Also shaken and poured over ice - of course! 

Spirit of choice: Gin, because I love gin. (truth, my home bar is stocked with equal halves gin and tequila). My favourite gin is St. George Terroir Gin

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Real clams. Making my own clam reduction for my Caesar is something that brings me so much joy and smells amazing.

Best garnish: Grilled cheese sandwich drizzled in wild honey because, hot damn, that makes everything better! It's like a grilled cheese and tomato soup, except the soup is boozy, which is way better. 

Spirit of choice: I used to be all about the vodka, but have gone to the gin side in recent years. Love Hendrick's gin for a Caesar every so often. 

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I like an extra spicy Caesar, so when making at home, I love fresh grated horseradish, a random variety of whatever hot sauces are in the fridge and every once in awhile a bit of smoky barbeque sauce. 

Best garnish: Extreme beans or anything pickled but being an East Coaster, I love a big fresh local oyster on or in it. EDNA Restaurant in Halifax makes a particularly delicious version!

"I'm inclined to enjoy a Caesar or two on a Sunday morning, especially considering I'm a born-and-raised Calgary kid, and the Caesar was invented in my hometown. It's always been a source of pride!"

Spirit of choice: My favourite vodka to use in a Caesar is Lucky Bastard Birmingham's Dill PIckle vodka out of Saskatoon, SK. So many flavour-infused vodkas turn out tasting kind of cheesy, but not this one. They age their vodka with Elman's award-winning Kosher dills, and the finished product is perfect paired with Clamato juice.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I have to credit my wife, Kari Skelton, with an excellent secret ingredient: red wine. Just a quick press is a unique (and tasty) finishing touch! You can read more about that at KariSkelton.com. I'm also partial to a dollop of horseradish in my Caesar - does it get any better?

Best garnish: The garnish is often what sets so many Caesars apart, and I've been so impressed by the approach different bars and restaurants take. Cilantro and Chive in Lacombe, AB, for example, garnishes their Caesars with a cheeseburger...yup, a cheeseburger. You can't go wrong at home with a crisp dill pickle, a spear of Meuwly's pickled asparagus...or a nice chunk of your favourite beef jerky. And, of course, a quick twist of fresh-cracked black pepper to finish it off!

Spirit of choice: So Schramm Gin carries these incredible herbaceous notes and is a natural pairing for my favorite Caesar recipe.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique:The fresh tomatoes and roof top herbs create a delicately balanced Caesar that is very refreshing. The honey note is subtle. I would call this a feminine expression of the Caesar (if that is allowed).

Best garnish: Garnishing with compressed watermelon and cucumber adds just the right summer touch (something like pepperoni would overpower it).

Spirit of choice: Since the Bloody Caesar is such a distinctly Canadian cocktail, it makes sense to pair it with Canadian spirits! Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers in Niagara make a solid rye-based vodka which will enhance the spice of the cocktail.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I like experimenting with rims. My favourite is a half-half combo of celery salt and Montreal steak spice. And yes - full disclaimer - I’m from Montreal!

Best garnish: Oysters! Oysters and Tabasco are a solid combo and the brine pairs well with tomato. If there’s no oysters around, then castelvetrano olives!

Spirit of choice: I typically go with vodka unless the gin has botanticals complimentary to a Caesar. I'm a sucker for the mustard-infused gin from Saskatoon's Black Fox Farm and Distillery. It's uniquely "Prairie" and is perfect in a Caesar.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: A little splash of pickle juice goes a long way.

Best garnish: I'm not a fan of too much garnish, but do appreciate a combination of pickled bean, olive and a cube of cheese. A simple snack to go along with the classic bevy!

Spirit of choice: Tequila, I find it stands out against the clamato juice and adds a subtle smoky flavour. 
 

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Sometimes I like to add a little minced garlic to my Caesars. Learned this from (the now closed) Antonio’s Garlic Clove in Calgary. 

Best garnish: At home I like it simple, a little celery salt and a celery stick, but when I’m having a Caesar at a restaurant it’s always interesting to see what unique garnishes they may put on top. Like Anju’s Shin Ramen with dried noodle garnish or Beltliner’s Caesar with Perogies as a garnish.

Spirit of choice: I like to use the Single Grain Wheat Vodka from North America's smallest crat distillery- Strathcona Spirits. It's made from hard red wheat grown close to the distillery, and fuels my desire to support great local products, but also is just a damn fine and smooth vodka, perfect for Caesars. 

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I like my Caesars a bit on the spicy side, so I tend to get heavy handed with the hot sauce, and I love to add a touch of fresh ground black pepper to the celery salt rim. The aroma of the fresh pepper really signals the taste buds for what's about to go down in your mouth.

Best garnish: As for garnishes, I'm a fan of pickled anything on top. Beans, cucumber, jalapenos... anything goes. However I'm not really down with this business of topping Caesars with an entree like a burger or a grilled cheese, or even bacon. As soon as you dip bacon in my drink you've ruined a perfectly good slice of heaven.

Spirit of choice: Park Distillery in Banff Alberta makes an amazing Bird’s Eye Chilli Vodka that adds such a such uniquely, unexpected heat. It the perfect partners along side classic Clamato juice. 

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: I keep all my Caesar ingredients in the fridge so they’re chilled and ready to go. This stops the ice from melting quickly and watering down the richness of the cocktail. 

Best garnish: Celery is a must for me and I don’t just cheap out on one stalk. Some say it’s overboard, some say it’s salad, I say it’s perfect.

Spirit of choice: I prefer vodka, and to get specific, Lucky Bastard's Birmingham Dill Pickle Vodka is the go-to! The distillery is in Saskatoon, and I love representing my hometown. Why? The more dill, the better! 

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: No big secrets here. Refer to question number one ;) The dill pickle vodka adds that kick, but with the  smoothness that simply adding pickle juice wouldn't do. 

Best garnish: The more, the merrier. Garnishes, I mean! I'm not sharing. I like celery, a dill pickle, a pepperoni stick or a slice of fried bacon... and then brunch on the side. Hey, a girl's got to eat (and drink)!
 

Spirit of choice: Believe it or not the classic Sasky Caesar is made with Kirkland vodka. Good old Costco.

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: If I told you I'd have to kill you. Although an extra shot of vodka or two never hurts. To really spice it up add a shot of dill pickle vodka to it. 

Best garnish: The classic pickled asparagus spear and a stick of local jerky. The perfect  combination of a great drink and a little snack. 

Spirit of choice: I always love to use vodka in my Caesars, and I find Smirnoff tastes the best!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Not really a secret, but I use sooo much Worcestershire in my home made Caesars. 

Best garnish: I garnish my Caesars with pepperoni sticks and celery. It's a perfect, well rounded meal of you ask me!

Spirit of choice: Tequila. If I am drinking before noon, why not tequila?

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: Celery juice! A great savoury complement that slightly lightens the traditional recipe. Also, cilantro plays very well with tequila and keeps the garden theme going.

Best garnish: Totally occasion-dependent: something fresh if I am serving with brunch. something pickled if I am looking for a cure, and some form of protein (prawn or landjaeger) if the next course is another cocktail.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Dan Ball (@danielballll) on Oct 6, 2018 at 5:31pm PDT

Spirit of choice: Vodka, simply because I’ve only had two Caesars in my life and they were both made with vodka. I’d love to try a tequila or gin Caesar though!

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: My favourite of the two I’ve tried had fresh horseradish and a spicy Cajun rim. 

Best garnish: I think I’d enjoy any combination that included olives and some kind of protein--shrimp, jerky, bacon--anything to expedite the hangover recovery! 

Spirit of choice: Gin. I like the extra botanical flavour it adds to the Caesar. Plus, as the saying goes, aren't all vodkas just aspiring to become gin one day?

Secret Caesar ingredient or technique: My wife and I are all about pickle brine, like half an once. When we don't have our own homemade fermented pickles on hand we like to use Bubbies. While answering this I had to text my wife to confirm that it is indeed Bubbies brand that we always buy and she responded, "must be naturally fermented pickles, not that vinegar shit," so there is her two cents.  As well, we also like to use Thai red curry paste instead of Tabasco, which means you have to shake your Caesar in a cocktail shaker in order to get it all mixed up nicely (a spoon just won't do).

Best garnish: A homemade or Bubbies' pickle of course, while I'm also partial to a spicy bean if we have them on hand.